


Getting Dressed

by Flammenkobold



Series: Not Quite a Blue Sunrise [2]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Innuendo, Light Angst, M/M, References to Depression, Slice of Life, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, helping each other get dressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26007076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flammenkobold/pseuds/Flammenkobold
Summary: Barnes and Wilde help each other get dressed for a party. It's a bit different than their usual routine.
Relationships: Commander James Barnes/Oscar Wilde (Rusty Quill Gaming)
Series: Not Quite a Blue Sunrise [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1887586
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	Getting Dressed

**Author's Note:**

> Companion piece to Like a Maiden Scorned in the same series, but can be read alone.

They’re ready as they will ever be for the celebrations.

Wilde closes the last button on Barnes uniform, makes sure it sits immaculate. A novelty to their usual ritual, where he fiddles with the buttons until Barnes chest is exposed just right to look dashing. Likewise Barnes is loosening his cravat a bit, so it looks more artful than neat, like Wilde would've worn it what seems like a lifetime ago. These days he prefers simpler clothes for practicalities sake and because half the time he is too tired for something more extravagant.

"You look very handsome, Commander," he notes with a smile on his face, looking Barnes over. Barnes gives him a faint smile in return.

"As do you, Mr. Wilde," he returns the compliment, then turns to view himself in the mirror, shifting uncomfortably.

"Gods, I forgot how uncomfortable this thing is and how-" he gestures with his hand.

"Prim?"

_ "Stiff." _

Once upon a time the joke would have been out of his mouth already, but these days Oscar still finds it hard to make them, even if the world is no longer in complete danger of going straight to hell.

"And there are other stiff things I'd prefer," Barnes continues giving him another in for a joke.

"Like a good drink?" He teases, foregoing the more obvious choice of innuendo. Barnes snorts, "hmhm something of the sort."

Wilde leans forward, presses a kiss to his shoulder, careful not to wrinkle the uniform. "One evening only, and once it's over I'm sure I can get you out of this stiff thing and get something else into you that's much nicer."

Barnes doesn't laugh but swats at his arm, eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Promises."

\---

It started out like this. Wilde sitting on his bed in the safe house in Japan, trousers on but shirt unbuttoned and too tired to move.

He sometimes wonders if things had gone differently if it had been someone else finding him like this. If it had been Zolf.

But it was Barnes, urgent letter from Curie in hand, storming into his bedroom, sword halfway drawn, worry edged on his face as Wilde hadn't answered his knocks.

He'd put the sword away the second he saw Oscar just sitting there, staring back at him with far too exhausted eyes. There had been a sliver of worry and pity in his eyes.

"Curie needs you. We need you," he said sounding nearly apologetic. Not the time for a breakdown, not with the world going up in flames, not after the scar took him out for longer than it should have.

"Of course," Wilde said, and tried to get up, legs and arms feeling like lead.

Barnes grabbed his arm, helped him up. "Here, let me help." He pressed the letter into Wilde's hands and then buttoned up his shirt, tugged it away and helped him into his jacket, until the worn, simple clothes fitted him like an armour, hiding away most of him. Wilde took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, sorted himself out.

"Thank you."

Barnes looked at him in that somber way of his, knowing look in his eyes.

"You're welcome."

\---

Barnes would come into his bedroom every morning after, helping him get dressed, until it became less necessity and more a pleasant routine.

Things shifted more when one day Wilde took a more conscious note how Barnes wore his shirts open, but always in a way that it still seemed like he tried to cover something up, like there was one button too much buttoned up to go for the effect he was trying for.

So one morning when Barnes finished up with the last buttons on his shirt, he said, "Could I?" And gestured at Barnes' outfit. Barnes hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

Wilde tipped Barnes hat a bit to the side, less sailor gone pirate and more born privateer, then adjusted the sash around his waist and finally undid the button that had started to irritate him.

Wilde had suspected a tattoo, or a birthmark, but with the button undone, the faint scars under Barnes' breasts were slightly visible.

Barnes stood still there under his gaze, almost as if he was afraid.

"No reason to hide these," Wilde reassured him and as if on their own volition his fingers grazed over the edges of it. Barnes relaxed immediately, until they both became aware of the improper contact between them. Not one unwelcome, but not one that was very wise in the current situation.

"Right."

"Right." They both said and stepped back from the other, but both now dressed in their respective costumes to participate in the world around them.

It didn't stop them from seeking out each other's company each morning, from helping each other put on their clothes each morning until it turned into them removing said clothes from each other as well in the evening.

Wilde sometimes wondered if it was foolish of him to trust Barnes like that, after everything. But if he was being foolish, well there were worse things to be foolish over.


End file.
